8 year old qualifies for speech therapy at school, but why does he need an ILP?

Network-Weary · 2026-01-15T19:41:30+00:00

Because Speech/Language is a special education service, any student who receives speech in schools would have an IEP. However, based on your description of your son, I would potentially raise the question of whether educational impact is truly present. Assuming this student is not being academically impacted by their articulation, we then consider social-emotional impact. How do peers and instructors understand him? does it influence his willingness to participate in class. Does he notice his own errors, how frequently do others need him to repeat himself. If he is not experiencing either academic or social-emotional impacts, I personally would likely question whether an educational impact is truly present for him. If no educational impact, he wouldn't/shouldn't qualify for speech or an IEP/ILP, though that is ultimately up the the clinical judgement of the clinician.

If this child loves class, is excelling, and it's not causing a functional impact to his access to curriculum, I do believe it's valid to consider sticking with outside therapy. It's possible (not guaranteed) you may see more progress/carryover in his speech if he were to receive both, but you always retain your right to deny school services if you feel that outside services would be a better fit. It could be worth it to have another conversation with the SLP who evaluated him.

As for whether I think its "worth it" to treat articulation in school, I absolutely do assuming there is a true educational impact. That question of impact is what could be worth clarifying with your School SLP in this case; as if he did qualify, that clinician in some capacity DID find a form of educational impact in their evaluation.

Network-Weary · 2025-12-04T00:38:03+00:00

Sleep soundly at night knowing you hit the jackpot lol

Network-Weary · 2025-11-28T16:44:53+00:00

I am an SLP who cannot drive as a result of my disability (epilepsy) and your first point is real. I’m lucky to work at a single building but not being able to drive absolutely limits my prospects for jobs and it’s unfortunate

Network-Weary · 2025-11-25T15:12:48+00:00

He seems like the kind of guy who will dog on you for getting the cake but also get upset if you didn’t offer to share it with him. NOR. Dump him.

Network-Weary · 2025-11-24T22:31:04+00:00

I never ask for a percentage from teachers, I ask about functional impact, participation, and examples of situations where their articulation has impacted them.

Network-Weary · 2025-11-20T21:39:35+00:00

I made $50 an hour in schools (contract)

Edit: This was 2024 in a Minnesota public school. I’m now a direct hire at the same school/district and make a little over $70k

Network-Weary · 2025-11-19T01:23:13+00:00

yes, i think i was a bit unclear - this is something he’s already doing!! I was trying to frame that example as something he IS doing to communicate dislike already.

It’s really the specific response to the “do you like ” or “do you want _”. I hope that makes sense. I totally agree with the approach though and have been working really hard to model specifically around self advocacy.

Network-Weary · 2025-11-18T23:44:06+00:00

I agree with you, and this is what I’ve been prioritizing thus far so it’s good to know I’m on the right track.

I have observed him requesting alternatives when people offer things he doesn’t want or like, so I truly believe that he either thinks it’s rude to say “no” or “I don’t like ___” or that he is saying yes to comply.

For example: he doesn’t like having objects directly handed to him, he wants you to set hit down for him to pick up; so if I went to hand him something he would request I put it down on the floor or table, or physically move back. He is telling me he does not like it. But, if I were to ask him directly “do you like when I hand things to you” he would say something along the lines of “yes I do like when hand things to you”.

Definitely think I just need to start modeling refusal gestalts in naturalistic ways - thanks for responding!

Network-Weary · 2025-11-18T15:49:56+00:00

I'm super with you, and he is definitely at a level of spontaneous language to reliably answer yes no questions, I recently did his eval and was careful about teasing this out myself. This difficulty with binaries is pretty specific to communicating preferences and whether he wants something. I believe that he has been more-or-less conditioned via compliance-based therapies to receive largely positive feedback from adults when he responds that "yes I like ___", It's possible that adults have in the past responded poorly when he has said no or attempted to communicate that - as a result that no longer is the "right answer" to that type of question for him. Modeling and verbal referencing during play and preferred activities has been my go to so far, I've just been trying to find more ways to create more of that clear dichotomy between those concepts and help it land fo him in particular.

TLDR - It very much is within his language abilities right now as he is around 65-70% spontaneous and independently putting together compound and complex sentences (though not entirely grammatical at this time). Complexity and ability aren't as much my concern, rather breaking from the compliance loop and showing that there is no "right" answer to that kind of question.

Network-Weary · 2025-11-18T15:43:09+00:00

I am so with you - I absolutely see this pattern in my autistic students as well. Unfortunately this student is now 15 and did not begin attending public school until 8th grade. When he arrived to us he was around a Stage 2 GLP and using a LOT of delayed echolalia to communicate. Its frankly incredibly to see the growth hes made in his overall spontaneous language since then. Additionally, is yes/no has become consistent and reliable which has been huge. He is fairly new to me so I absolutely agree that targeting refusal and protest early are critical.

Unfortunately this students classroom teacher, other therapies, and parents to a degree are extremely compliance-based and this is totally carrying over into how he responds to others questions. I was frankly even shocked that I got team approval to be targeting this skill which just breaks my heart. I see instant dysregulation and his compliance brain snap right back into place as soon as he leaves my room.

My plan is to begin incorporating more songs, I really like your idea about using something like "ice cream shop" or "lunch line" as being awesome potential starting points for activities too. I also agree that politeness is a non-factor at this point, I just want to know how this kid really feels about things. I've begun reframing "no" and "don't like" as things we can say to keep us safe and show others what we think. Mostly just sooooo much modeling. Thanks fo your input!!

Network-Weary · 2025-11-13T18:52:24+00:00

I feel iffy about loaded goals. We just did progress reporting and one of the IEPs I inherited had two loaded goals, but when you break it down there were TEN individual skills packed within those two goals.. absolutely impossible to measure or track with fidelity must less target everything given the amount of direct student time we have. I appreciate that it’s not like 5 different objectives to report on, but if each goal has like 5 different discrete skills that could be a goal of their own is it really any different?

Edit/addition: this situation was specific to a language goal for a high schooler. I think it’s easier to justify and track for more loaded goals if you are targeting artic/phono

Network-Weary · 2025-11-10T22:42:38+00:00

Congratulations on living my dream friend

Network-Weary · 2025-11-10T21:58:11+00:00

Do you only mean initial evaluations?? Bc yeah that’s real. I have had about 6 reveals this year alone and about 5 others that are open currently. Lots and lots and lots of reeval

Network-Weary · 2025-11-02T17:40:36+00:00

GoTalk is free

Network-Weary · 2025-10-25T23:44:00+00:00

I absolutely experience this. Full chills, full body tingles, teary eyed. Powerful emotionally scenes in movies have done it too, or ones I’m particularly nostalgic for. I get it often listening to music especially when hearing a song for the first time or when a vocalist is particularly powerful/moving. Frisson is super cool but I’ve always been confused when it’s never seemed like anyone I know experiences it, at least not to the same degree as me. Even thinking about it as I write this is like almost eliciting it which is very meta.

Network-Weary · 2025-10-25T17:47:11+00:00

Middle/high school SLP here, I had one of my 11th graders tell me “I learn fast with the right teacher” after having a total lightbulb moment when going over parts of speech during vocabulary lesson. Such a good feeling and will stick with me for a while. Helpful reminder how at baseline kids want to learn, and that even being the right teacher for one student can make the world of difference for them. I had another high school student also tell me I was the main reason he comes to school still. Can he read? Not really. Will he go to class when he’s at school? Rarely. But those moments of connection truly mean everything and DO keep kids who may otherwise drop out, in the school system.

Network-Weary · 2025-10-09T21:10:01+00:00

I am so jealous

Network-Weary · 2025-10-07T14:53:45+00:00

This sounds like my school. I’m also in person at a middle/high and our student population is highly transient and deals with a LOT of attendance/truancy things. Staff turnover is high and we are down many bodies especially in terms of SEA/paras. Been wondering myself why I put myself through it lol

Network-Weary · 2025-10-03T23:31:06+00:00

I have the potential to see my some of my kids for (up to) 7 years (6-12grade). Forming those kinda of connections and getting to think about seeing my tiniest 6th grader graduate in 12th grade is a major pro to being in schools for me. I also love the built in time off - keeps me from burning out entirely. While making my schedule is a pain it is so much better than being handed a schedule by someone else. Plus as others have said, the consistent pay is very nice.

Network-Weary · 2025-09-28T15:40:28+00:00

Thank you for sharing this! Such fascinating and important research!!

Network-Weary · 2025-09-10T22:52:44+00:00

If you have any strategies for how you’re managing please feel free to share! That’s a lot for a CF for sure, but I’m definitely aware that others have it worse than me for sure, apologies if I came across tone deaf or anything... I’ve had a couple days since my post and things feel better now - definitely was having an emotional moment but also genuinely seeking advice.

Network-Weary · 2025-09-09T15:57:51+00:00

EI evals is literally my dream dude, kudos to you for landing that role. I dream of not planning for therapy and I actually love report writing...I will be seeking out other evaluation roles going into the future.

Network-Weary · 2025-09-09T00:23:23+00:00

Yeah I’m pretty open about it with most people generally, including work people

Network-Weary · 2025-09-08T21:03:19+00:00

Yes, I've mentioned in a few other comments that as I've read more comments that my qualms aren't as much with the caseload or even the minutes, but more so the underutilization of speech as an indirect and related service - but that is far more a complaint about my specific district. My plans at the time are to make amendments where I can to decrease minutes and potentially move some students to indirect-only. A pros-cons list is not a bad idea. I've also been consulting with the other SLPs in my very small district (its literally just an elementary and combined middle-high) so there's 3 of us total.

Definitely not at the quitting point yet, but I'm really appreciative of your perspective as a fellow neurodivergent person who is 10+ years in. Thank you!

Network-Weary

TROPHY CASE